Municipal backing for the Barcelona LGBTI Centre, a pioneering centre in the Spanish state to defend the rights and freedoms of lesbians, gays, trans, bisexual and intersex people, will mean an additional 150,000 euros in annual funding. The money will be used to double the number of individual and family support hours provided and to drive a programme of activities to promote sexual and gender diversity rights in the districts.

A mission endorsed by figures

The LGBTI Centre opened in January 2019. It offers information, guidance and direct support in coordination with the main LGBTI associations and the rest of Barcelona City Council’s services.

The facility is staffed by a multi-disciplinary team of professionals in psychology, social work, law, health and community management, with the collaboration of external experts, specialists and other bodies.

From the time it was created through until May this year, the Barcelona LGBTI Centre attended to 1,408 people in all, providing psychological support for 446 people and support for 321 trans people.

Compared to the same period the previous year, the volume of support provided rose by 48% in 2021 and a system was established to bolster social assistance and refer some specific cases directly to legal services.

The main reasons for people approaching the centre relate to foreigner status, refuge, asylum, labour advice, housing to ensure self-sufficiency, conflicts or cases of LGBTI-phobia in the family realm, social needs or psychological support in transition processes, as well as queries to do with gender identity, socialisation and meetings between equals.